Chap 135: clan leader’s work
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One 500$ bill (F)
Empty envelope (F)
Holy hand grenade (C): make an huge explosion, dealt damage to undead and heal the user (if in range).
Shuriken (E)
Confusion crate-Bomb it (C): a crate that turn invisible in 20 seconds, anyone that touched the crate will be dazed and be confuse for a while.
Rusty blade (F)
Stamina Vessels-Legend of Zelda(B): permanetly increase stamina of the user
Sword (E)
Nagant m1895 (E)
Flash bang grenade (E)
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Leaving his office, Takumi steps out to the garden, leading him straight to the training camp for the Zennin.
Wearing the clan's signature black and white yukata robe. He took his time to think of what to say as he walked. Being a leader and all, one does need to practice their speeches and charisma. The beauty of a man can only help him so much; most of the clan members are easily swayed, but not the old elders.
"My lord, is something bothering you?" A male voice made itself known.
"Nothing at all." He replied to the male handmaiden walking beside him.
Though that is a conservative way to call one of the husbands of the vice leader of the clan.
"Where are you headed to, my lord?" He said, making sure to be respectful.
Takumi looked at the feminine man one time before answering. "Training ground of the Kukuru unit."
Their clan units comprise three spots in a hierarchical order, the Hei being the highest. Only having Grade one sorcerer or semi-grade one, many of the members are the elders of the clan.
Speeding up his walk to pass the door to their sector and go directly to the lower class. Being the Kukuru, having only member that has no innate technique.
"May I ask about the task you have for them ?"
"I plan on taking them to hunt down some curses." He said, "a quality check if you will."
"I see." The handmaiden just nods to his explanation. "They are also eager to receive a mission from what I hear as of late."
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The Kukuru have been receiving many improvements to their equipment and other daily privileges. Like their armor, weapons, and even their normal life have been upgraded.
All thanks to the clan head, Takumi, who knows how the clan treats their underlings. Only seeing the value of those with strong technique. And as such, the mortality rates of members killed in action are always high.
Misiru has gotten used to her life as a soldier for the clan. Her training started from the day she was young enough to wield a sword. Death was the norm for everyone in the Kukuru branch, Misiru herself was a hardened soldier by the experience of the deaths of both her friend and foes alike.
"Not so sure why the new outfit?" Sei asked, similar questions were whispered among the members of the team.
"Maybe he has a kink?" Shise joked, a bland joke. No one imagined a cold-blooded killer like her to make one; now she and several others are laughing together.
"A man like him ? Nah, that's absurd. What about you Misiru?"
"Hmm? Oh, I don't care that much, just as long as we can enjoy the new privilege." Everyone was in a festival mood since Takumi came in charge.
Most members live a very dull life; years of killing tend to do that. No husband, no relax, only the blade and the mission.
'What if this is a ploy?' She pushed that thought aside. Takumi is taking care of everyone, things have been alright so far.
They have been given their own room, food better than any trash leftover that the Zennin was bothered to give. Their family was taken care of, everyone was, for once. Happy.
But the anxiety that some felt was clinging on in the past few months. She, too, has it; comparing the hell they went through to the benefits feels like a trap to soften them down.
"I won't promise to give any changes, but I'll try and do my best to keep your life." That was his words, said out loud to all of the Hei, Kukuru, and Akashi unit. His words when they first met sounded so naive then.
And it still sounded naive now. But maybe, she felt like it could have some reality in it.
Right after he made that announcement, "now I guess, everyone here is not sharing the same point of view. With me as the leader. So if anyone here would like to test my capability, this is your chance." His stance was wide, open for any challenger that might be.
She heard of the rumors, about how his initial release of the family curse technique alone was enough to challenge Naobita.
And not everyone in the clan was convinced, so from that crowd. A lot emerged, elders who reject the changes, some who were greedy to think a man has no place at the top. For a moment, even she too, consider if she can fight him.
She sees no curse energy, so he must be hiding it very well, while she isn't one to think about the clan's future. But in the end, Misiru didn't stand up.
Members began to form a circle around them as each of the clan challengers started to approach him.
Out of the eight elders, two decided to stand up. The Kukuru themself have fourteen elite who want to try their sword at him.
Takumi gave everyone a glance as if to ask them, "Is this your final choice ?"
Seeing no changes in everyone's demeanor, he sighed. A long sigh, that left an opening for the two elders to quickly close the distance.
Then, she saw it. Curse energy, ruthless and cold like the darkness it came from.
The elders did not manage to dodge in time as the black liquid swallowed them whole. Takumi was still in the same spot, he raised his eyes to the Kukuru members.
The man then charged in, engaging in close-quarter combat. He disarmed the first one using his bare hand, snapping her sword and chopping her neck.
The second and third followed the same way, side kicked into the stomach and leg sweep to the ground. It was by the fifth and sixth, and the seventh gathered their will and blocked the next attack.
He did look impressed by what they did, but then she saw it. Beast, lots of them. They came out, rising from the shadows. A horde of chimera animals swarmed them, just one of the creature, she judge it was good enough to be a grade-one curse spirit. It was a sight terrified the most experienced of them.
He was moving the horde, not in the backline, with the horde. The rest were disarmed or just killed right then, over powered and out number. They stood no chance of wining.
Takumi remove each and every single one with expert precision of someone way pass his looks.
The last one standing, she dropped her sword exactly when he and she made eye contact.
To imagine that was six months ago.
No one dares to question his might, and since that day, the clan has only improved to be better.
Most of their duties were much the same with excorsising curses, only now they deal with civilians too.
Training didn't change, but everyone didn't do it for the need of survival anymore. But for a better purpose, invigorated by someone. For a cause not of their own choosing, but they followed out of their will.
The clan soon took on a new member, so much so that the Kukuru unit was given an entire complex as big as that of the elders.
Misiru, now a captain of her own squad, squad 20th. Leading and teaching the newest 40 members of her team. The clan was prosperous, all thanks to the changes brought by one man.
Misiru was able to eat well, sleep well, she was happy, and that alone is good enough.